Bir Kurumun Tarihsel ve Sosyolojik İncelemesi: Şehir Kulüpleri (1923-1950)

Abstract

This article researches the city clubs, which were established during the early Republican Era, historically and sociologically. It examines three questions. The first question is about what relations are produced in these clubs. This study underlines that the clubs, contrary to the claims alleged in regulations of clubs and/or contrary to the discourse in the press, are not places that produce opinion. Rather, these have become spaces that high classes spend time with plays which are gambling or not gambling. The second question intends to find out to what extent the relations produced in these clubs are related to the rational-critical discourse in the Habermasian sense. Given the characters of conversations in clubs, identities of clubs' members, and connections between political power and city clubs, it is very hard to say these places produce rationalcritical discourse. The last question is about the nature of the relations between these city clubs and the political power. This study points out that these relations have became problematic especially towards the end of the World War II. Sometimes these clubs have resisted to the closing decrees. The struggle that the political power had started against these clubs extinguished in 1950.